Find out how popular the last name Roelofs is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Roelofs.

Roelofs, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Roelofs surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Roelofs in America

Roelofs is the 24222nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Roelofs surname appeared 1,036 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Roelofs.

We can also compare 2010 data for Roelofs to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Roelofs

The surname ROELOFS has its origins in the Netherlands, emerging in the Middle Ages around the 12th century. It is derived from the Old Dutch personal name "Roelof" or "Rodolphus," which itself comes from the Germanic elements "hrod" meaning "fame" and "wolf" meaning "wolf." The name was initially used to denote someone who was either the son of Roelof or who lived near the home of a person named Roelof.

In its earliest form, the name was often spelled as "Roelofs" or "Roelofse," with the latter variant indicating a patronymic form. As the name spread across the Netherlands, it took on various regional spellings such as "Roeloffzen," "Roelofsz," and "Roeloffen."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the ROELOFS name can be found in a Dutch census record from the year 1275, which mentions a "Jan Roelofs" living in the city of Leiden. Another notable early reference is a 14th-century manuscript from the town of Delft, which includes the name "Pieter Roelofs" among a list of local landowners.

During the Dutch Golden Age of the 17th century, several individuals with the ROELOFS surname achieved notable status. One such person was Pieter Roelofs (1624-1679), a renowned Dutch Golden Age painter known for his landscapes and genre scenes. Another was Adriaen Roelofs (1635-1679), a respected still-life painter whose works can be found in various European museums.

In the 18th century, a prominent figure bearing the ROELOFS name was Jan Roelofs (1728-1795), a Dutch politician and jurist who served as the mayor of Amsterdam from 1779 to 1795. He played a significant role in the Dutch Patriot movement, which aimed to reform the political system of the Dutch Republic.

As the name spread beyond the Netherlands, it also gained a foothold in other European countries. One notable example is the German philosopher and writer Willem Roelofs (1822-1897), who was born in the Dutch town of Arnhem but spent much of his life in Germany, where he wrote extensively on philosophy and aesthetics.

Throughout its long history, the ROELOFS surname has been borne by numerous individuals across various fields, including art, politics, literature, and academia. Its enduring presence serves as a testament to the rich cultural heritage of the Netherlands and the far-reaching influence of Dutch surnames around the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Roelofs

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Roelofs.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Roelofs was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Roelofs has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Roelofs was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Roelofs, please contact us.

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